A trek through Rain forest - Kodachadri Hills

          Kodachadri trekking is one of the most adventurous and most amazing weekend tourist destination from Bangalore. We are a bunch of five friends who planned this trip on a short span of time and made it successful in just 2 days. Before starting your journey make sure to plan your stay and  local guide for the trek.

  

Co-Ordinates:

       Kodachadri is a mountain peak in the Western ghats of Shimoga district in south India that has an altitude of 1343 m above the mean sea level. It is situated near the Mookambika National Park about a distance of 21 km from Kollur  and 15 km from Nagodi village, in Hosanagara taluk. This wildlife destination is a lesser known trekking spot.

        What our History and Geography says is that, Sage Adi Shankara is said to have visited this place, meditated here and he also established a temple at Kollur. A small temple called Sarvajnapeetha, built with stone is dedicated to Adi Shankara at the top of Kodachadri. Some of the pilgrims from South Indian states who visit Kollur take a trek to Kodachadri also.

         Dr. K. Shivarama Karantha, noted writer of Udupi District trekked to Kodachadri in 1940s and appreciated the natural beauty of this place by placing Kodachadri as most beautiful of three mountain peaks of coastal Karnataka (the other two being Kuduremukh and Kumara Parvata).

How to reach there?

Well, there are so many answers for this question. 
         Kollur, which is located near Kodachadri, is an ideal spot from where you can reach the hill. You can reach Kollur from Bangalore or from Shimoga. From Kollur, trekkers can travel to Nagodi village, which is at the base of the peak. An alternate route is to travel overnight to Nittur which is on the way from Kollur and Shimoga. The trek is a 12-km route from Nittur from Kodachadri gate.

      
       If you are opting to go by public transportation then book the KSRTC bus/Private bus to Kollur. and get down in Nittur, from there homestay guys will pick you up. If you choose to go by own vehicle then you can reach your homestay directly. There are lot of homestays are available now in that locality.

Let me tell you how we reached there. 

       After so much of planning, we booked a homestay some days prior to our journey and also booked our bus tickets from Bangalore to Nittur. We left Bangalore on Friday night and got down in Nittur bus stand early Saturday morning. From there we were escorted to our homestay by their people on jeep. After a brief refresh and breakfast, we ignited our trek to this beautiful mountain. We were given with packed lunch of rice bath which we had after climbing first peak of Kodachadri. And trust me it was so delicious. 

Now lets talk about the serious stuffs.

Pre-Requirements for the trek:

1. Pre-booking of Homestay.
2. Taking enough pair of cloths(Raining most of the times).
3. Umbrella/Raincoat a must.
4. Jackets
5. Medicines/pain relief sprays
6. Moov ointment/salt (To get rid of Leeches)

Best time to visit:

The best time to undertake this trek during the October-February time period. If you want to enjoy the rain while trekking then August-October is good. The trek takes 8-10 hours to complete and should be undertaken only by experienced trekkers with fitness levels at their peak.

To-Do List:

• The route through jungles is infested with leeches. Protective footwear and long trousers are a must on the trek
• The dense jungles house several species of poisonous snakes, including theKing Cobra. Thick, ankle-length footwear is preferable to sneakers.
• The amenities along this route are basic. The trekker is advised to carry adequate water, beverages, and food.
• The route passes through a wild life reserve. The trekker is advised to avoid littering the route and to keep noise levels to the minimum.
• Carrying torches and insect repellents is essential on this trek.

Must visit places(On the way):

Hidlumane Falls:

Hidlumane falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls u can witness while trekking in Shimoga dist. You will reach here after around 5 km from your starting point. The only way by which you can reach here is by trekking on a bridle path, which involves a little adventurous trekking.

Ganesha Guha:
Ganesha Guha is near the trekking path to Sarvajna peetha. This is a very small cave where a ganesha idol is being placed and is worshiped daily.

Sarvajna Peetha:

Sarvajna Peeth is a small temple like structure near the peak where Adi Shankara meditated.  This small structure bears a name which is similar to Sarvajnapitha, also called Sharada Peeth of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The view and weather here is amazing. Its good to sit down for a while and enjoy the nature.

Places around Kodachadri:

• As discussed above, Kollur, the famous temple town is located 12 km from Kodachadri. The temple of Mookambika Devi is believed to have been established by sage Parashurama. In fact, there is a Mookambika temple at Kodachadri village, which is believed to be the origin of the Goddess.
• Agastya Teertha is a waterfall in the jungles adjoining Kodachadri. This waterfall can be located only with the help of local guides.
• The backwaters of the Linganamakki Dam on Sharavathi River form a backdrop to the Nagara Fort at a distance of 25 km from Kodachadri.
• The famous Jog Falls.

Shopping options@ Kollur:

 

 

A Monsoon Weekend Trip to Dudh Sagar Waterfall

 
Dudhsagar Falls ( ದೂದ್ ಸಾಗರ್ ಜಲಪಾತ )

This is one of the very beautiful waterfalls which i have ever seen in recent times. It is located within the Western Ghats on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of Goa on Goa's border with Karnataka state.

The Falls can be reached by train from Karnataka state from Londa railway junction on Hubli-Madgaon-Vasco da Gama route. One can get down at Castle Rock station or Collem station and reach the Falls by road. However, one can get down at Dudhsagar Falls railway station itself (station code DWF or DDS) that lies between Castle Rock and Collem. Through Goa, it is 60 km from Panaji city by road and 46 km from Madgaon railway junction by train.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit this beautiful location is July to September. In the mid or end of rainy season. The most pleasant weather is to be experienced between November and February. March to May can be warm and uncomfortably humid. The Monsoon months of June to September, are the most scenic when the entire area is lush and green, however during these months the access to the waterfalls could be cut off due to flooded rivers and huge quantities of water cascading down the falls.

 

 The Fall of Water..

 Dudhsagar Falls is listed as India's fifth tallest waterfall and is 227th in the world at 310 m.  Dudhsagar is one of the world's most exquisite falls.

How our Journey started..

How we reached :

 There are so many ways to reach to this falls. But i will explain how we reached this destination. We left via train from Bangalore on friday night to Londa railway junction on Hubli-Madgaon-Vasco da Gama route. One can get down at Castle Rock station or Collem station and reach the Falls by road. However, one can get down at Dudhsagar Falls railway station itself (station code DWF or DDS) that lies between Castle Rock and Collem.

Got refreshed as we reached Hubli station, had breakfast and headed towards Castle Rock station.

Got down at Castle Rock station and got prepared for the trek. 

 To our surprise, we had to witness the shooting of Kannada movie "Mynaa" and got the chance to meet the hero Chethan and the team.

 And we continued our trek for almost 18KM till we reach the waterfalls.

 
Believe me, You will find Heaven on your way.

 Plan your Trip Properly, Take enough food and water while you go. You wont find any shops on your trekking way.

      The roads leading to it are maintained by the Goa Forest Department. A small rest house is maintained in the forest by the Karnataka Forest Department and is the only place to stay there.

                                                            The area is a wild and scenic deciduous forest and an ardent Bird watchers paradise. Many species of birds, insects, plants and animal abound here.

 

You will find so many small waterfalls on your way. If you really want to enjoy water then you have to spend more time here.

By and large sightings of wild animals on the trails leading to the Waterfalls are poor due to human activity, however what you will see plenty of are monkeys of various types, who scamper down the steep slopes to greet visitors. Feeding of monkeys is prohibited and will incur a fine if found guilty.

Very good option for young photographers, wildlife and nature lovers. Really a Heaven. Isn't it!!





The Beauty of Western Ghats......

Note: If Train comes while walking through the tunnels turn towards the wall, remove your bag and bent down. because some goods train will have doors open and there is chances of you being hit by the train

We walked through 12 Tunnels from Castle Rock Railway Station to Dudh Sagar water falls. The Longest tunnel being 409.95 m and shortest being 150 m. The tunnels are very dark and it was very different experience for us walking through those tunnels. Even though we had good mobile torches, they didn't help us much inside the tunnels.
So enjoy your journey and be safe when train passes your way.

 

From the DudhSagar Station, you have to walk 1 km more on the same way till you reach  DudhSagar Falls.

View of the falls from some distance as you approach the Sea of Milk.

The water plummets hundreds of metres (over a thousand feet) in large volumes during the rainy monsoon season, forming one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in Goa.

 It is a major part of the Goa ecosystem. It is a four-tiered waterfall with a total height of 310 metres (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 metres (100 feet).

Safety Measures

 As you can see, water is flowing on full speed, so you wont find a place to get into water and swim. 

Use of an insect repellant is recommended during the monsoon months. Beware of wild snakes when exploring the nearby jungles. Do not dive into the Waterfalls, as the bottom is strewn with huge boulders and has widely varying depths. Do not venture to swim in the Devils Canyon. The canyon is like a bottomless pit with strong underground currents likely to suck you into the rocks

The only place where you can get into water is this place.                                      Take a dip in the refreshing cool, sweet waters at the Water Fall. However diving is forbidden, as the bottom could be rocky with unpredictable depths.

    A sign board acts as a grim reminder of people that have lost their lives swimming or diving at the falls. As always, don't venture into the water if you cant swim. Bring a pair of Binoculars and watch an array of Birds, insects and animals. Or just watch the hordes of Monkeys perform their antics. Trekking through the forest trails is an interesting activity for the avid trekker. 

    Adventurous rock climbers could attempt climbing the steep Rocks up to the source of the falls. Take an Elephant ride through the forest, at the forest eco camp.

Returning Back

Have to walk back to Dudh sagar station. from there take a train to Castle Rock Station.

Before Leaving for the Trekk from Castle Rock, Do not forget to take the return Train ticket from Dudh Sagar station to Castle Rock station  if you are planning for the same.

We had to pay huge fine for TC as we forgot to take the return ticket.

Yes, This is all about the Trip. Hope you also enjoy this one day trip.
Happy Journey.!!